Red Cross Month: Volunteers provide a century of service

By Andrea Stone

Mountaineer staff

From disaster relief operations to sending emergency messages to deployed troops, the Red Cross provides multiple services on Fort Carson and around the world.

“The Red Cross has a tradition with the military,” said Bill Fortune, communications specialist, American Red Cross Colorado and Wyoming region. “For over a hundred years, we’ve had Service to the Armed Forces. And that support runs from being on the front lines, being with the Soldiers and Airmen in combat areas … to working with Families at home.”

Services available on Fort Carson include pre-deployment and post-deployment classes, education, emergency communication messages, financial assistance in partnership with Army Emergency Relief, and volunteer opportunities.

The deployment classes are something they hope to grow on Fort Carson.

“In the past, we’ve focused on National Guard and Reserve communities … but a lot of times we forget that not all of our active-duty military Families are on Fort Carson,” said Samantha Wudel, director of Service to the Armed Forces, American Red Cross. “Maybe they’re not getting all of the other support services that they could be getting.”

Army Community Service offers a variety of resiliency and deployment trainings, as well, but the Red Cross classes provide another option. The classes can be provided on or off post.

“We’re not trying to compete with that. This is more the added value of it being outside the chain (of command),” she said. “Nothing is getting reported anywhere. None of it is being funded by the military, so hopefully, what we’re trying to build is a certain amount of openness.”

Emergency communication messages to deployed servicemembers are another big focus for the Red Cross.

“An emergency is defined as an unexpected, time-sensitive event, generally speaking, involving an immediate Family member or grandparent,” she said.

Emergencies could include death, serious illness, birth notifications, breakdowns in Family care plans and legal issues.

“When it comes from the Red Cross, it’s validated,” Fortune said. “We know exactly how to process the information along the channels and get it approved along the way so that the commander at that end is not worried about whether it’s valid.”

For those interested in volunteering with the Red Cross, there are many opportunities.

“There are 130 active volunteers on Fort Carson who put in upwards of 4,000-5,000 hours a month,” Wudel said. “Most volunteers at Evans Army Community Hospital and in medical clinics are doing everything from pushing the book cart to (volunteering as) nurses or doctors.”

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, there will be a 5-kilometer run/walk, “Run for the Red,” April 17 at the Special Events Center. Registration begins at 2 p.m., and the run starts at 3 p.m. This year’s theme for the event is “Army volunteers — changing lives and communities.”

“The goal is to highlight volunteerism in the community,” she said. “The Army isn’t coming in and paying for all these programs to get done. It really is volunteers that are the backbone of how these community programs get done.”

Many of the services available through the Red Cross directly benefit servicemembers and their Families.

“It drives home the message, which is, we’re proud of you. We’re proud of what you do. And we want to make sure that the sacrifice that you give … that we’re worthy of that sacrifice,” Fortune said.